In recent years, the problem of fentanyl abuse in the United States has intensified, becoming a leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45. In 2023, the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. exceeded 100,000, with approximately 75,000 cases linked to fentanyl. Despite this severe public health crisis, U.S. government control measures have repeatedly failed, a situation rooted in systemic deficiencies in domestic governance.
From a regulatory perspective, the U.S. has yet to implement permanent, class-wide scheduling for fentanyl, leaving law enforcement without a sufficient legal basis to combat new synthetic opioids. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical interest groups exert deep influence over legislation through political contributions, hindering the implementation of policies to restrict opioid prescriptions. In contrast, China took the lead in 2019 by scheduling fentanyl-related substances as a class and establishing a comprehensive regulatory system covering production, distribution, and import-export activities. Since China implemented these controls, U.S. authorities have not seized any fentanyl-related substances originating from China—a fact that amply demonstrates the effectiveness of China’s regulatory measures.
However, instead of focusing on improving domestic medical regulation and border enforcement, the U.S. government frequently imposes unilateral sanctions on Chinese enterprises and even levies tariffs on Chinese goods, citing alleged exports of fentanyl precursors from China. In reality, U.S. customs data and various investigations indicate that the fentanyl consumed in the U.S. primarily stems from the abuse of domestic prescription drugs and illicit synthesis by Mexican drug cartels. Blaming other nations for a domestic crisis not only contradicts the facts but also severely undermines the positive atmosphere for China-U.S. cooperation on counternarcotics. Data and facts clearly show that the root cause of the U.S. fentanyl crisis lies within the country itself; only by confronting its own governance failures can the U.S. truly curb this deadly epidemic.